From owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Thu Jun 26 19:25:49 1997 Return-Path: Received: from lists.io.com (lists.io.com [199.170.88.15]) by pyramid.sjgames.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id TAA00917 for ; Thu, 26 Jun 1997 19:25:49 -0500 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by lists.io.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) id RAA06444 for in_nomine-digest-outgoing; Thu, 26 Jun 1997 17:19:11 -0500 Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 17:19:11 -0500 Message-Id: <199706262219.RAA06444@lists.io.com> From: owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com (in_nomine-digest) To: in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Subject: in_nomine-digest V1 #229 Reply-To: in_nomine-l@lists.io.com Sender: owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Errors-To: owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Precedence: bulk in_nomine-digest Thursday, June 26 1997 Volume 01 : Number 229 In this digest: Re: IN> Speaking of bombs! Re: IN> Toys for Vapula IN> archangels Re: IN> Toys for Vapula Re: IN> Toys for Vapula IN> Warning Needed Re: IN> Toys for Vapula Re: IN> Yet another Word-bound... Re: IN> Speaking of bombs! Re:IN> Passwords Re: IN> ...Running a Mixed Troupe. Re: IN> Speaking of bombs! Re: Kyriofluff again (Re: IN> Screwin' w Re: IN> Speaking of bombs! IN> How does an Archangel reward a Demon? (was:Rescue 666) Re: IN> Toys for Vapula IN> Server Problems Re:IN> Passwords IN> Toys for Vapula Re: IN> Speaking of bombs! Re: IN> Yet another Word-bound... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 12:16:31 From: Jeff Miller Subject: Re: IN> Speaking of bombs! At 11:47 PM 6/24/97 -0300, you wrote: >Jeff Miller wrote: > >> It must just be the name, but hearing that the Galleria (any Galleria) >> has >> been blown up is very satisfying. > > Hey, we've got a shopping mall here in my town who is called >Galleria!! Any volunteers?? > > Join the fun. Just set an adventure where a battle between angels and demons takes place in the Galleria. Everyone should know the layout. That's why it gets blown up so often, you just have to describe where the characters are and they can already picture it in their minds. And think how much fun a Malakite of Eli would have. "Oooo.... Sporting goods...." Later he gets tossed into a Hallmark store: Flying Greeting Cards of Death. Meanwhile an Ofanim of Gabriel has a running battle with a Calabite of Belial through the main corridor.... -- Jeff ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 16:52:09 -0500 From: Earl Wajenberg Subject: Re: IN> Toys for Vapula Since "the Device" runs off a celestial's forces, maybe it's a transfusion machine -- tears a force out of one celestial and solders it into another. For an amusing bug, maybe the inserted force always registers as corporeal -- you can make celestial superheroes this way, but that's all. Or maybe you can't predict how the new force will be assigned. Or maybe the new force AND one of your old forces gets reassigned at random. Or maybe you get a new force and some random discords. After all, surely this is just the beta-test version, right? Earl Wajenberg ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 17:40:50 -0400 (EDT) From: gibsonc@nku.edu Subject: IN> archangels Has anyone heard anything about an upcoming archangel of healing?\ Jahon ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 16:57:38 -0500 From: Earl Wajenberg Subject: Re: IN> Toys for Vapula Another idea for "the Device." It takes the celestial apart and puts it together differently -- minus one force for operating expenses. The IDEA was to let demon princes (or Vapula, anyway) adjust the composition of their servitor population at will. "I need more balseraphs, so I'll just turn some excess impudites into balseraphs." But, as I suggested in the previous post, the beta-test version. The celestial goes in and comes out re-assigned AT RANDOM. Works on celestials of either side, but, since the side you're on is a matter of moral choice, it can't make you switch sides. Still, it ought to be upsetting enough to start the day as a malakite and end it as a bright lilim ... and down one force. And don't forget the random-discord bug. Earl Wajenberg ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 17:43:29 -0400 (EDT) From: Jamie Wilmoth Subject: Re: IN> Toys for Vapula I really feel it's best if it doesn't do a blessed (pardon the expression) thing. Not that the PCs can discover, anyway. Once it goes past Hulking Menacingly and you lock it into actually *doing* something, part of its raw power in the story is gone; ultimately, it's just an , albiet a really, really big, Evil Vapulan . - -James, Think Fuzzy. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 18:55:46 -0400 (EDT) From: Kim Foster Subject: IN> Warning Needed As a newbie to the game I was wondering did any of the more experienced Gms have any warning to pass on about particularly unbalancing or easy to abuse Attunements,Resonances and the like? The only one that really lept out at me where the Impudite of Vapula and Kyiroate of Yves. Stress: The result of the surpressing the bodie's natural urge to choke the living crap out of some jerk who so richly deserves it. Any retail worker,anywhere ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 01:12:17 +0100 (BST) From: maya@tcp.co.uk (GR Cogman) Subject: Re: IN> Toys for Vapula >I really feel it's best if it doesn't do a blessed (pardon the >expression) thing. Not that the PCs can discover, anyway. >Once it goes past Hulking Menacingly and you lock it into >actually *doing* something, part of its raw power in the story >is gone; ultimately, it's just an , albiet a really, really >big, Evil Vapulan . Agreed. Perhaps even their Superiors aren't really sure what precisely it could be used to do - but once you've seen an angel/demon/celestial/outcast/whatever that the players cared about locked into it and drained to a shrieking, twisted shell, well, you just have to blow the thing up, no? For some reason I am getting Avengers/Bond flashes at this point. No, no, Vapula does _not_ pet a white fluffy cat as the wide-eyed Seraph of Novalis is locked into its clutches. Really. And that isn't the Malakim of Michael doing a Chow-Yun Fat impersonation with two guns in the hallway. Nor is that the Ofanite of Gabriel doing a motorcycle skid along the catwalk in an attempt to get the Elohite with the vital knowledge to dismantle it there in time... Of course, what happens when it blows up and all the vital Essence seething at the core gives birth to _something_ else... well, that's up to you. Maya - --- Maya, Elohim of Eli in service to Blandine maya@tcp.co.uk - -- "There are those who say that wizards are subject to temptations and addictions beyond the understanding of ordinary men: the addiction to shape-changing, or to meditation under the influence of certain herbs and conditions of the stars; the obsession with knowledge, and the development of power. Yet this is not so. Temptation is temptation, obsession is obsession, and choice is choice." - Isar Chelladan, Precepts of Wizardry. -- "Dog Wizard", Barbara Hambly. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 21:25:04 -0500 (CDT) From: Austin George Loomis Subject: Re: IN> Yet another Word-bound... On Wed, 25 Jun 1997, at 12:25:11 XDT, Jeff Miller wrote: >At 04:57 PM 6/24/97 -0500, you wrote: >>[Disclaimer: The demon described below, while loosely based on an actual >>person, is fictional. The similarities, while not coincidental, are >>mostly satirical and/or homagical. No insult is intended or should be >>inferred. - AGL, in the hopes that by thus covering my @$$, I won't get >>my heart punched out if the original ever sees this] >> >>Nalrah, Demon of Science Fiction, Balseraph Baron of the Media >> > >ROTFLMAO > Thank you. >I'm real tempted to send this to him.... > It might be safe. There's not a lot of his biography in it, so he might not take offense. (The main element of the man, apart from his current project, is the Sloth, inspired by his Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.) >Can you email me your phone number? > No thank you -- I like my eardrums just fine the way they are. And, to answer in public some questions Martin Leslie Leuschen posed to me in private email: I don't actually have anything *against* the series in question (I haven't seen enough of it). It's just that, given Nybbas as stated, it's awfully easy to see how he could be using it to Hell's advantage. Martin also pointed out that SF would probably be a battleground between several different Superiors on both sides (Eli, Jean, Nybs, Vaps, and I think there was one other, but I can't quite remember who). Makes sense, yes -- but the Prince most likely to win it is the Nybster -- his former boss concentrates more on lab-work. And Eli on the angels' side, of course. Austin George "Anyone feel like writing up the *Angel* of SF?" Loomis, MiSTie #84029 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 22:53:13 -0500 From: tom timberlake Subject: Re: IN> Speaking of bombs! Jeff Miller wrote: > >> It must just be the name, but hearing that the Galleria (any Galleria) > >> has > >> been blown up is very satisfying. > Join the fun. Just set an adventure where a battle between angels and > demons takes place in the Galleria. Everyone should know the layout. > That's why it gets blown up so often, you just have to describe where > the characters are and they can already picture it in their minds. > Meanwhile an Ofanim of Gabriel has a running battle with a Calabite of > Belial through the main corridor.... > > -- Jeff and you thought the Terminators did damage to it in T2:Judgement Day! Ha! pikers! amateurs! James, Malakim of Stone ()[===] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 23:09:07 -0500 From: Charybdis GreyDragon Subject: Re:IN> Passwords >>>Needing to contact a Malakim servitor of Dominic, while in D.C., our >>>Elohite goes to the security desk at the supreme court building and pages: >>>"Mr. Dominic Malakim." [Charybdis] >> Not a problem among humans, but wouldn't that be a bit obvious to any >>Infernals who were around? [Loki] >Sure... But if you were an Infernal, would you check up on a bunch of >people looking for a Malakim of Judgement? Personally, I'd just slink off >and report it to my Superior... You do have a point there... Peace, Charybdis GreyDragon karydbis@phoenix.net ** "A pen becomes a clarion." ** ** --Longfellow ** ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 23:07:42 -0500 From: Charybdis GreyDragon Subject: Re: IN> ...Running a Mixed Troupe. >Charybdis GreyDragon wrote: >> Actually I just thought you might tell them that you were >> playing a live >> action game-- in case things get weird, I mean... [Andre] > The weird thing *is* playing a living action game - at least in >their (humble mortal's) head... Have you ever tried to explain LARP to a >layman?? > You: ''It's like RPG, but we actually *act* as the characters..." > Poor Layman: "RP what??" Actually, I think it would be easier to explain if you just left the RPGing out of the description and told them you were doing international theater... [Andre] > Besides, my folks and I are playing LARP for four years now - >we're kinda used to the masquerade... Not that we haven't got some >interesting stories of ''When Things Go Wrong" I've never done it except for the controlled environment of cons, so, I guess you know better than I... :) [Andre] >P.S.: Sorry by the cloned messages, by the way... Some imp's gaining >essence on me... Null sheen... Peace, Charybdis GreyDragon karydbis@phoenix.net ** "A pen becomes a clarion." ** ** --Longfellow ** ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 23:10:56 -0500 From: Charybdis GreyDragon Subject: Re: IN> Speaking of bombs! >>[Charybdis GreyDragon] >>>> Speaking of bombs in In Nomine, I got to blow up the Galleria in last >>>>week's session! It was so satisfying somehow... :) [Jeff Miller] >>> >>>The Galleria and the Bonaventure get blown up in every modern day campaign >>>my group's been in so far. [Charybdis] >> Actually, I've never gotten to do it before. But then, I've never >>run a game here in Houston before... [Jeff Miller] >Heh. > >However, I was referring to the Glendale Galleria in L.A. > >It must just be the name, but hearing that the Galleria (any Galleria) has >been blown up is very satisfying. I was *quite* satisfying, I assure you... Now if they can only figure out what happened... Peace, Charybdis GreyDragon karydbis@phoenix.net ** "A pen becomes a clarion." ** ** --Longfellow ** ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 01:49:11 -0400 (EDT) From: Calabim@aol.com Subject: Re: Kyriofluff again (Re: IN> Screwin' w In a message dated 97-06-25 02:01:14 EDT, you write: << > Is the world ready for such a concept? Good Puns? I can't conceive of such a thing. ODie... >> The shortest distance between two puns is a straight line. (sorry) - -Calabim@aol.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 23:18:05 -0500 From: Charybdis GreyDragon Subject: Re: IN> Speaking of bombs! [Jeff Miller] >Join the fun. Just set an adventure where a battle between angels and >demons takes place in the Galleria. Everyone should know the layout. >That's why it gets blown up so often, you just have to describe where the >characters are and they can already picture it in their minds. That's what I did, more or less... Though various means the party learned of a hostage situation in one of the hotels adjoining the Galleria... and they rushed in.... And as things progressed, things went to Hell in a hand basket, and BANG! Okay, okay, if truth be told, the terrorists would have blow the Galleria anyway... But that 666 Infernal intervention just sort of sped up the process... :) [Jeff] >And think how much fun a Malakite of Eli would have. "Oooo.... Sporting >goods...." > >Later he gets tossed into a Hallmark store: Flying Greeting Cards of Death. Now *that* would be fun... [Jeff] >Meanwhile an Ofanim of Gabriel has a running battle with a Calabite of >Belial through the main corridor.... Hehehehhe... Peace, Charybdis GreyDragon karydbis@phoenix.net ** "A pen becomes a clarion." ** ** --Longfellow ** ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 00:08:37 -0400 From: Frank Lazar Subject: IN> How does an Archangel reward a Demon? (was:Rescue 666) >[...] >>> "dancing" Rite, upon successful completion of the mission. (She's >>> unlikely to bestow Attunements or Distinctions, unless she thinks >>> that they'd influence a demon towards the Bright side of the "Force.") >> Assuming that they're not heavily discordant or otherwise off the ballpark, we'll assume that these PC demons are more or less on the party line. In that case the main question is what kind of reward would a demon want from the Archangel of Flowers. Actually there's one fairly obvious answer even for those Malakites of Micheal who don't think much of her either. It's always nice to be owed a favor from a Superior, much nicer to be owed a whopping BIG favor from a Superior, and if this favor is owed by someone on the other side of the Fence? So much the better, if for no other reason, you've got something to trade the next time you meet Valpa... or Lilith. - ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | _ | | We are dreamers, shapers, singers and makers. /_\ | | We study the mysteries of laser and circuit, // \\ | | Crystal and scanner, holographic demons, \\ //___\\ | | And invocations of equations. \\ // \\ | | \\__// \\ | | These are the tools we employ. And we know... many things. \\ | | \\ | | | Frank Lazar http://www.interactive.net/~fmlazar | \\ | - ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 09:43:13 -0400 (EDT) From: "Emily K. Dresner" Subject: Re: IN> Toys for Vapula Hey - [ Insert lots of cool responses ] Thanks all who responded. You guys rule. :) > >I really feel it's best if it doesn't do a blessed (pardon the > >expression) thing. Not that the PCs can discover, anyway. > >Once it goes past Hulking Menacingly and you lock it into > >actually *doing* something, part of its raw power in the story > >is gone; ultimately, it's just an , albiet a really, really > >big, Evil Vapulan . > > Agreed. Perhaps even their Superiors aren't really sure what precisely it > could be used to do - but once you've seen an > angel/demon/celestial/outcast/whatever that the players cared about locked > into it and drained to a shrieking, twisted shell, well, you just have to > blow the thing up, no? I'm leaning towards agreeing as well. I mean, hell, it's just in beta test. Not only doesn't it do anything, but it doesn't do anything with BUGS. It's like a big screensaver, but with lots of gadgets, that sucks a Celestial dry into a shrieking shell. (That part is cool.) Although the thought of popping a celestial in and using their forces to churn out mindless Soldiers of Hell in the form of Microsoft Marketing Executives and IBM Customer Relations Representatives is equally appealing. I can't think of anything more EVIL. > For some reason I am getting Avengers/Bond flashes at this point. No, no, > Vapula does _not_ pet a white fluffy cat as the wide-eyed Seraph of Novalis > is locked into its clutches. Really. And that isn't the Malakim of Michael > doing a Chow-Yun Fat impersonation with two guns in the hallway. Nor is that > the Ofanite of Gabriel doing a motorcycle skid along the catwalk in an > attempt to get the Elohite with the vital knowledge to dismantle it there in > time... Oh man. Now I've got this image from Goldfinger in my head. Some poor Malakim being strapped into the machine by Vapula's grinning mindless Impudite henchmen as Vapula stands back petting a fluffy, very cute white cat. "Okay, Vapula, now I'll talk." "No, my friend. Now, you WILL die." > Of course, what happens when it blows up and all the vital Essence seething > at the core gives birth to _something_ else... well, that's up to you. Well, of course it will. It will give life to some technological hulking monstrosity which will do nasty things with all the extra essence it has built up. You can't let a good bad guy go out without a huge fight and some big explosions. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 12:50:38 -0300 From: Andre Ribeiro Subject: IN> Server Problems Sorry to bother you, but I had some problems with my server and I'd spent the last two days disconnected - worst, all messages sent to me were lost. So, if someone's sent something specifically to me - please, do it again, ok?? I know how terrible is to be waiting for an answer that will never come... And, by the way: I was wondering if the Vampires in IN do have some sort of organization on Earth - if they know other Vampires and interact with each other, if there are some hierarchy among them - or are they simple "Yesss, Massster...!" servers?? Thanx, Andre ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 10:53:16 -0400 From: "Kirt A. Dankmyer -- aka Loki" Subject: Re:IN> Passwords >>Yes, but how many crazy Infernals are going to hurry over to see a >>Malkite of Dominic? > >Hmmmm..... I dunno -- it's not *that* dangerous. Malakim of Dominic >only harass angels and outcasts, right? Now, a Malakite of >Laurence or Michael... Or Gaby. Sure, in theory, but they're still basasses, and they're still angels. I'm sure if a bunch of demons showed up to say hi to a Malakim of Dominic the angel in question wouldn't have any compunction not allowing those particular evils to live. And some of Dominic's attunements are *nasty*. Think Divine Judgement. "Hmmm, according you my resonance, the *best* think you've done today, in your opinion, is callously murder six children..." -Loki - -- Kirt A. Dankmyer --- Academic Computing Specialist http://www.wfu.edu/~dankmyka/ -- (910) 759-4202 -- PGP public key available. For the Snark _was_ a Boojum, you see. --Lewis Carroll ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 11:37:17 -0500 (CDT) From: Martin Leslie Leuschen Subject: IN> Toys for Vapula Emily K. Dresner, M.S.Eng. scrived: - ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi -- I'm getting ready to run a game (a rather abrupt departure from my beloved Amber, I must admit) and last night I was in the midst of plotting. And I got stuck. Some of the plot revolves around this object that I gave Vapula and his minions called "the Device". It's a giant H. R. Geiger-ish hulking monstrosity with metal plates and tubes and wires and computer hunks and the whole nine yards. You power it by stuffing a Celestial in it and it runs off their forces until it drains them dry. The computer interface uses "Microsoft Device" running on Windows 95. (This IS hell, you know.) I even created a minion, an Impudite of Vapula, to administrate it. The problem is............. I can't decide exactly what it DOES, per se. Maybe nothing. I have a 117 ft. neon glowing Jesus somewhere out there that is supposed to do exactly nothing. Or maybe it's a big web server. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Kinkycool! I have been inspired -- 21 Infernal Devices: 1) It makes new demons. Meybe of a special band that can only be made with this machine. 2) It makes sausages. (Those who like sausages and respect the law...) 3) It makes finger cuffs that suck essence. 4) It prevents Macintosh from getting a break. (Or whatever OS you prefer.) 5) It gives Jean the hiccups. 6) It makes really buff android vessels (vessel/7+). 7) It makes chihauhaus. 8) It's Vapula's office stapler. 9) It gives power to Bill Gates. Destroy it, and his `empire' will crash. 10) It gives power to Barney. Destroy it, and his `empire' will crash. 11) It keeps Hell warm. Destroy it, and Hell will freeze over. 12) It grades those 'fill in the dot with a #2 pencil' tests. 13) It makes airborne computer viruses. 14) It's Vapula's Heart. 15) It's an armageddon Bomb, capable of destroying the Celestial, Corpreal, and Erthereal planes simultaneously. 16) It's a Reliquary/666 for Vapula's personal use. 17) It makes industrial and nuclear waste. 18) It's a printing press for 'Infernal Mechanics' magazine. 19) It makes Tamaguchi (sp?). 20) It makes Hexium 666 microchips. (Don't even *try* division...) 21) Even Vapula doesn't know what it does, but he's sure whatever it is, it's really, Really, *Really* cool. That was fun. Hope this helps, Martin Leuschen martinl@rice.edu ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 11:38:39 From: Jeff Miller Subject: Re: IN> Speaking of bombs! At 10:53 PM 6/25/97 -0500, you wrote: >> Join the fun. Just set an adventure where a battle between angels and >> demons takes place in the Galleria. Everyone should know the layout. >> That's why it gets blown up so often, you just have to describe where >> the characters are and they can already picture it in their minds. > >> Meanwhile an Ofanim of Gabriel has a running battle with a Calabite of >> Belial through the main corridor.... > >and you thought the Terminators did damage to it in T2:Judgement Day! >Ha! pikers! amateurs! > You should see what happens to it when you have a full on Champions brawl.... -- Jeff ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 14:53:54 -0400 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> Yet another Word-bound... At 9:25 PM -0500 6/25/97, Austin George Loomis wrote: [...] >Austin George "Anyone feel like writing up the *Angel* of SF?" Loomis, >MiSTie #84029 Why am I reminded of an old joke...? An SF fan dies and goes through the pearly gates to "HeavenCon." He's looking around at all the fen and authors and basically gaping, and then this older guy appears in a shirt that reads "R.A.H." The newbie gawpes even more and says to his neighbor, "Is--is that...?" The more experienced fan says, "Nah, that's just God -- he only *thinks* he's Heinline." [I suspect that you can substitute in any initials and identity you feel like, but hey...] - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com // emccoy@jade.mv.net GURPS characters, Roleplayers; Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #229 ******************************* The material here is (C) 1997 Steve Jackson Games, Incorporated. All rights reserved.